Helping kids the best part for Clothe-A-Child volunteers (with video)

Cherith M. Guest, left, and her daughters Shyann, 7, foreground, and Ralynn, 6, talk with Clothe-a-Child volunteers Don and Sandy Berlin Monday at the Great Lakes Mall. The Berlins run the Clothe-a-Child table every Monday, helping to link up children with their volunteer shoppers. The Berlins live in Mentor. The Guests live in Madison Township.

For Sandy and Don Berlin, seeing the smiles on children’s faces is the best part about volunteering.

The Mentor couple have been volunteering with The News-Herald’s charity, Clothe-A-Child, for the past four years, organizing paperwork, running the check-in table every Monday during the shopping season from September to January and as shoppers.

“Don is from a large family, didn’t have a lot, but (his mother and father) were hardworking parents with a lot of love, and I’m from a small family that didn’t have a lot,” Sandy said. “But we have been fortunate in our lives together, 52 years, and we think it’s our time to give back because we have had a good life. That’s why we do it.”

Clothe-A-Child helps families in need by providing shopping trips at Sears and Payless Shoe Source at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor for children ages 5 to 12.

Advertisement

“A lot of kids come and you can see their shoes are all worn and they have maybe only a sweatshirt,” Don said. “So we do the shopping trips in the winter so they can get winter coats and boots.”

So far this year, 700 children have been shopping, thanks to the help of generous donors year-round.

Sandy first read about the charity in the paper and was interested in getting involved.

“We love helping the children,” she said. “Also 100 percent of the donations goes to the shopping trips for the children, which for me was also very important.”

They both started as volunteer shoppers, and when the need came for table coordinators, the couple stepped right up to help out.

“Our job is to introduce the shoppers to the children, and try to make the mothers and fathers feel comfortable about having their child go shopping with someone they don’t really know.” Sandy said.

All volunteer shoppers must check in with an ID, and a lot of the shoppers are regular volunteers, dedicating time each week or every other week to shop with a child.

Diane Pauley of Mentor has been a volunteer shopper for 31 years, and shops once a week with a child.

“A long time ago people helped us,” she said, regarding why she has volunteered for more than three decades. “So now, you get to a point in life where you want to pay it forward and help other people.”

She said she lets the children pick out what they want, but always makes sure the clothes and shoes are the right size, as clothes cannot be returned.

“I always like to buy big because I always tell them, ‘You aren’t going to shrink, you are only going to grow,’ that way they can grow into (the clothes),” Pauley said. “But they are so excited to plan how many outfits they get to wear to school and which outfit they are going to wear the next day. I have yet to have a child who was not appreciative.”

The Berlins and Pauley hope to continue supporting the charity for years to come.

“We do it because it’s needed, and we like doing it,” Sandy said. “Clothe-A-Child does wonderful things for the community.”

To donate to Clothe-A-Child, become a volunteer shopper or for more information about the charity, call Pam Jenkins, The News-Herald Clothe-A-Child coordinator, at 440-954-7201.